f i rs t rep o r t
Live from Rome By Erin DeCleene, Class of 2015, theology major Editor’s Note: The following is an edited version of Erin’s blog. Please go to http://followerintorome.blogspot. com/2013/03/habemus-papam.html to read it in its entirety.
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ELLO!!! I AM SO EXCITED THAT I WANT TO TYPE EVERYTHING IN CAPITAL LETTERS BUT I REALIZE THAT IS ANNOYING SO I WILL STOP now. But seriously, I am so excited!!! We have a
new Pope! And I was there!!! The timing was divinely worked out; I couldn’t have planned it better myself. I mean, really, I was in Poland this morning and in Rome in St. Peter’s square for the white smoke tonight!
I left Poland this morning at 9 a.m. I landed in Rome around
11 a.m., just about the time of the cardinals’ second morning vote. The plan was to have our driver change his course from the villa to St. Peter’s if we heard there was white smoke while we were in the car. So, we all waited. The cab was practically silent. Finally, black smoke. So, we went back to the villa to unpack from Poland and have some lunch before heading out to St. Peter’s for the afternoon round of votes.
A little after 5 p.m., we went out into St. Peter’s Square to begin the smoke watch. It was cold and rainy. We prayed
a rosary for the cardinals and the future pope. Then, we waited, and waited, and waited some more. A church nearby St. Peter’s had Mass at 6:30 p.m. It was risky; we were nervous about missing the smoke and the new pope if we went, but we decided to go, anyway.
As soon as we walked out of the church around 7:20 p.m., what did we hear? Bells. St. Peter’s bells. There was a
lady next to us outside of the church talking on her phone. Right as we were asking these questions, she was saying, “Habemus papam!! Habemus papam!!!!!” which means, “We have a pope! We have a pope!!!!!”
We ran. We RAN from where we were to St. Peter’s Square. It didn’t even take us five minutes, at least, it didn’t
feel like it did. It was so dramatic. We were running through the streets with cries of “Habemus papam!!!” and shouts of joy. Anyway, when we were running, it was like everything was in slow motion. We got to a point where there were barriers up. The police were guarding them. There was one barrier left unguarded; it was a now or never moment. My Resident Director jumped it first, I followed; my classmate behind me was the last one to get through before the guards stopped people from jumping over. Her sleeves barely escaped his grasp!
The cardinal came out and said the long awaited, much anticipated phrase, “Habemus papam.” Finally, after less
than a minute, we had deduced that an Argentinian cardinal had been elected and that he had taken the name Papa Francesco, Pope Francis. I cheered, laughed, prayed, sang, screamed, anything I could do to show my love for the new Pope Francis.
After Pope Francis’ address, my classmates and I sang, cheered, and moved out, practically carried by the huge
mob. We all celebrated with gelato, then came back to the villa, had a late dinner, then each went off to his or her way of sharing tonight’s experience.
avemaria.edu | spring 2013 |
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